Castles and Fortress Ruins from Zwingen to Aesch in Baselland

Wednesday June 12, 2024 -- This time the forecast for the best weather was in the very western part of Switzerland near the large city of Basel, where we don't often walk as it is a "less exciting" countryside for us. But this was a day to explore that area a bit more, where there are many castles and fortresses and ruins.... many of these ruins as a result of the massive Basel Earthquake of 1356 which destroyed many of the fortresses at the time.

We started in the town of Zwingen on the Birs River south of Basel, and visited the castle grounds there, before making our way up the hill for a rather easy but boring stretch on a wide forest road to a low pass called the Blattepass. On the other side of the pass the trail became more interesting, as we were now passing through the largest contiguous vineyards of Canton Baselland, and we joined a trail called the "Burgenweg" or "Fortress Trail", exploring the ruins of several 900-year-old structures, ending at the magnificent ruins of the Pfeffingen Fortress, recently renovated. 

In fact, our excursion started and ended with castles, as we descended from the Pfeffingen ruins to Aesch, where I Iived in the 1980's. A translation from the Baselland Tourism website says it best: "There is hardly any other region in Switzerland where the density of castles is as high as in Baselland. Around 80 castles, palaces and ruins can be found on the hilltops, rocky outcrops, on the slopes and in the valley floors of the Basel area".

From Aesch it was only a 2-hour trip home. And we did have the nicest weather for this walk, lots of sunshine but a cool wind. Without the wind, the long stretch on the wide road would have been unbearably hot, though. All along the way, the linde trees were in full bloom, and I love the perfume of their blossoms. I would always smell it first, and then we would look around us to find the location of the tree!

Heading south from the city of Basel to the town of Zwingen in Canton Baselland, we actually pass by the ruins of the Pfeffingen fortress high on the hill. We visited these ruins at the end of our hike before descending back to the valley bottom. 

Starting at the Zwingen Castle at 9:40 a.m. 

An idea of what the Zwingen Castle might have looked like at the time. Work started here in the year 1240 by the nobel family Ramstein , and due to its expansiveness, the assumption is that it was meant to be a small village. Later it was acquired by the Bishop of Basel and modernized. 

A wooden covered bridge over the moat, and the chapel, which is used for weddings. (It was unfortunately locked). 

Several such paintings on the site portray what life might have been like here in the Middle Ages. For example, in Spring of 1619 there was flooding in the Birs River, and the waters raged. 

This is called the Linden Gardens, and there is a well here below the huge millstones. (All along our hike the linden trees were in full bloom, and the strong perfume filled the air!)

The main building (a massive circular tower) in this complex was built in 1240. On the sundial painted on the wall is a date of 1591.  

Heading back out of the castle complex to start on our hike. 

Crossing the Birs River from where we head uphill. 

From above, a look down at the main tower of the Zwingen Castle, one of the first buildings in this complex, dating from 1240. 

After looking at the castle in Zwingen, we started on our walk at 10 a.m, and caught the train in Aesch at about 3:30 p.m. So we spent about 5½ hours for this 4½-hour walk. 

Another lovely field of red poppies. This time the tall blue flowers add an interesting touch. 

Now it's a straight stretch into a town called Blauen. (From there our hike continued in the clearing on the hillside below the forest, headed to the right). 

A sign at the entrance to the town of Blauen informs us that this village exists since 1147!!! (This is older than the Swiss Confederation). 

At first I only saw the "deer family", till some glowing eyes looked out at me. 

Everywhere roses are in bloom. 

From Zwingen to here we followed a trail called "Via Surprise no.32", but we are now continuing on Trail no.80: "ViaJura", but will join no.32 again at the Blattepass

The village church on a small hill above the houses. We didn't detour there. 

A very nice large village fountain, almost like a swimming pool!

I'm not sure what this cute little building is for!

A look back over the rooftops of Blauen as we start up the hill. 

These beautiful flowers were in someone's garden. I especially liked the very blue colour of the one on the right. 

The road to the pass went on for about 3 kilometers like this. But there was barely any change in elevation, and luckily there was a light wind blowing, otherwise it would have been too hot to walk here. In spring when the fruit trees are in bloom, this region is really lovely!

A look across the Baselland landscape. 

Down below us the farmers are very busy mowing the meadows, to take advantage of a couple of days without rain so the grass can dry. 

We got to the Blatte Pass at 11:40 and there were quite a few people up here spread around on benches, having picnic lunches (looked like a women's walking group). We were lucky that the picnic table was free, so we had our lunch here. The huge bench was fun!

Shortly after the pass we arrived at the first vineyards. The sign informs us that these vineyards in Pfeffingen and Aesch comprise the largest contiguous vineyard in Canton Baselland. 

On my left on a hill is the first fortress ruins, called Burgruine Frohberg. My map showed access from the east, so we headed there, but found no trail. We didn't want to go back to find a different way up. 

Hidden among those trees is one of many fortress ruins on this crest. We couldn't find any access or signs pointing toward there, so we figured we must have missed it. I was disappointed to not have been able to include an actual visit to that site on this stretch. 

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A look to the south across the Tschöpperli Farm. 

Tschöpperli vineyards. 

The "Via Surprise" trail continues through the vineyards of the Klus Valley to the "Basel suburb" called Aesch, but we are taking a different route from here, across a crest called the "Burgengratweg", or "Fortress Crest Trail". 

The sign points us to the start of the Fortress Crest Trail. 

This sign explains that in this small region called the Klus, five fortresses were built in the 13th Century. For the most part, they were all destroyed in the huge Basel Earthquake of 1356. We visited all of these ruins except Frohberg, where we missed the access somehow. Also nearby is a cave where tools and bones dating from the time of the Neanderthals were found, somewhere between 35,000 and 60,000 years old. 

The first thing we found along the trail were the caves, where apparently Neandertal hunters found refuge 50,000 years ago. 

The next ruins along the way are the Schalberg Ruins, built in the late 13th Century by the Schaler family. It was destroyed in the earthquake, but rebuilt. There is only this central tower which remains.  

This one we found just by chance, as it was off the main path, but we noticed a ladder. This is the ruins of the Engenstein Fortress, also known as "Old Schalberg". Also built in the first part of the 13th Century. 

View from the top of what remains of the Engenstein fortress. 

Continuing on, there is a clearing in the forest which gave us a view to the Upper Klus Farm. 

Next are the ruins of the Münchsberg Fortress. We had to follow an overgrown path to get to the top, and there was just one stone wall visible. Like the other ones, it was destroyed in the earthquake, as were the remaining members of the Münch Family who built it in the late 13th Century. 

But the view sure confirms why the noble families in the Middle Ages built their fortresses on these hilltops! This view is well past the city of Basel to the north, and into the mountains of the Black Forest in Germany. 

On the long stretch to the Pfeffingen castle (final ruins before our descent), the trail was very overgrown. 

The massive ruins of the Pfeffingen castle. 

An artistic rendering shows what the Pfeffingen Castle might have looked like. It is unclear exactly when the foundation of this castle was laid, but it already existed in part in the 11th Century. As time went on, additions were made, for example the large tower with the living quarters from the end of the 14th Century. 

This is the west entrance of the castle. The tower on the right is called the "Witches' tower", but it is believed that no "witches" were incarcerated there. 

Panels with very nice artwork depict what it might have looked like here at the western entrance in the mid-15th Century. 

Lots of interesting information about the various structures, towers, and walls of the original castle. 

Trying to get a good photo of the large tower (main residence). 

We had to use a wide-angled lens to get the whole tower into the photo!

This little fluffy guy is just a baby!

Looking down on the remains of the oldest part of the castle, remains from what were original buildings from the 11th Century. 

The massive tower which was the residence and thus and the main part of the castle was built at the end of the 14th Century. In 1867, attempts were made to enlarge the entrance on the west side, which led to the western wall collapsing. That is why only three sides of the tower remain. 

Inside the 3-story living quarters, whose west wall collapsed. The large windows gave good views to the south and the east into the valley of the Birs River. 

Here's an artistic rendering of the building contractor driving his employees to get that fortress built!

On this side of the residence tower you can see where there was a huge fireplace on the upper level

Heading down through the west entrance of the fortress. 

This is what the castle might have looked like from the west side. 

A painting depicts an attack on the fortress in 1499.

And now we continue on for the final descent to Aesch, although we took a detour through the forest on the right. What we see here is the community of Pfeffingen. 

A look back at the Pfeffingen fortress. 

Down below is the town of Duggingen, on the east side of the Birs River

And just before we get to the train station in Aesch, the final castle along the route. 

Aesch Castle, just before the train station

Crossing the Birs River again to the Aesch Train station. 

End of our hike at the Aesch Train station. We got here at 15:26, in plenty of time for the 15:38 train to Basel, and a 2-hour trip home. 

What our hike looks like on Google Satellite Maps

Location of Zwingen and Aesch near Basel

On a side note, the website archeologie.bl.ch shares information about the restoration of the Pfeffingen ruins, including some 3D diagrams which I am allowed to embed into my website. The article is by Michael Schmaedecke.

Pfeffingen, Ruine by Archäologie Baselland on Sketchfab